Avow Hospice Receives $5,000 Grant from Suncoast Credit Union

Avow Hospice announced it received a $5,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union to help fund weekly art therapy groups for children and teens participating in its Avow Kids grief and loss programs.

“Art therapy helps children and teens express their feelings after a significant loss,” says Patricia Childress, LCSW-S, ACHP-SW, and director of Avow’s supportive services team. “Engaging in creative activities connects the head, heart, and hands in ways that give a young person control over what they have experienced. Expressing their feelings through art helps young people let go of those feelings and make sense of what has disrupted their lives.”

Avow’s board-certified art therapist, Shawna Scarpitti, holds weekly virtual and in-person sessions with children ages five to 17 who have endured losses from death, divorce, family separation, suicide, incarceration, and other circumstances. Scarpitti also incorporates art therapy into workshops and special activities offered by Avow to children, often in conjunction with music therapy. Avow Kids partnerships with groups like the Naples Players and Naples Zoo offer other opportunities for incorporating art therapy into children’s grief healing.

The Avow Kids program supports children and teens through individual sessions, groups, workshops, and special events. All services are without cost to families.

For more information on the scope of services provided by Avow, call 239-261-4404 or visit www.avowcares.org. For more information about Suncoast Credit Union visit suncoastcreditunion.com or follow them on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.